After telling the story of how he overcame an inner-city background to become a world renowned neurosurgeon (
Gifted Hands), Dr. Ben Carson now gives an inspirational look at the philosophy of life that helped him meet life's obstacles - and leap over them.

5 out of 5 stars

A SUPERACHIEVER

By
ANDRÉ
on
12-08-13

You Have a Brain

A Teen's Guide to T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G.

By:
Ben Carson M.D.,
Gregg Lewis,
Deborah Shaw Lewis

Narrated by:
Dan John Miller

Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
160

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
143

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
144

In
You Have a Brain: A Teen's Guide to T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G., Dr. Carson unpacks the eight important parts of thinking big--talent, honesty, integrity, being nice, knowledge, books, in-depth learning, and God--and presents the stories of people who demonstrated those things in his life. By applying the idea of T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G. to your life, and by looking at those around you as well, you too can overcome obstacles and work toward achieving your dreams.

5 out of 5 stars

Super more should follow in these footsteps

By
Juanita
on
08-28-15

Take the Risk

Learning to Identify, Choose, and Live with Acceptable Risk

By:
Ben Carson M.D.,
Gregg Lewis

Narrated by:
Ben Carson M.D.

Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
136

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
107

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
103

You can find our culture's obsession with avoiding risk everywhere, from multiple insurance policies to crash-tested vehicles. But is ducking risk the most productive way for us to live? Surgeon and author Dr. Ben Carson, who faces risk on a daily basis, offers an inspiring message on how accepting risk can lead us to a higher purpose.

3 out of 5 stars

Alright

By
Shaun
on
12-23-08

The Big Picture

Getting Perspective on What's Really Important in Life

By:
Dr. Ben Carson

Narrated by:
John Pruden

Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
45

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
41

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
41

Dr. Ben Carson shares how to get perspective on what's really important in life. He shares the spiritual and philosophical foundations that shaped his life.

1 out of 5 stars

Religious rubbish

By
Amazon Customer
on
02-08-17

Hiding in the Light

Why I Risked Everything to Leave Islam and Follow Jesus

By:
Rifqa Bary

Narrated by:
Rifqa Bary

Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
1,022

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
922

Story

5 out of 5 stars
918

Rifqa Bary grew up in a devout Muslim home, obediently following her parents' orders to practice the rituals of Islam. But God was calling her to freedom and love. He was calling her to true faith. He was calling her to give up everything.

5 out of 5 stars

Excellent!

By
Enrique Mata III
on
05-24-15

Ripple Effects

Discover the Miraculous Motivating Power of a Woman's Influence

By:
Pam Tebow,
Tim Tebow - foreword

Narrated by:
Pam Tebow

Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
17

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
15

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
15

Discover the God-inspired difference only you can make in the world - using the key you never knew you had. Tim Tebow credits his mom with being the key to his success - but Pam never expected that she would be known on a national stage. For most of her life, she was serving quietly and faithfully as a wife and a mom - choosing life for her child in the face of medical risks, answering the Lord's call to mission work in the Philippines, and homeschooling before anyone knew what the word meant.

5 out of 5 stars

Inspired

By
Lisa Harvey
on
06-17-19

Think Big

Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence

By:
Ben Carson M.D.,
Cecil Murphey

Narrated by:
Richard Allen

Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
151

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
131

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
130

After telling the story of how he overcame an inner-city background to become a world renowned neurosurgeon (
Gifted Hands), Dr. Ben Carson now gives an inspirational look at the philosophy of life that helped him meet life's obstacles - and leap over them.

5 out of 5 stars

A SUPERACHIEVER

By
ANDRÉ
on
12-08-13

You Have a Brain

A Teen's Guide to T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G.

By:
Ben Carson M.D.,
Gregg Lewis,
Deborah Shaw Lewis

Narrated by:
Dan John Miller

Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
160

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
143

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
144

In
You Have a Brain: A Teen's Guide to T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G., Dr. Carson unpacks the eight important parts of thinking big--talent, honesty, integrity, being nice, knowledge, books, in-depth learning, and God--and presents the stories of people who demonstrated those things in his life. By applying the idea of T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G. to your life, and by looking at those around you as well, you too can overcome obstacles and work toward achieving your dreams.

5 out of 5 stars

Super more should follow in these footsteps

By
Juanita
on
08-28-15

Take the Risk

Learning to Identify, Choose, and Live with Acceptable Risk

By:
Ben Carson M.D.,
Gregg Lewis

Narrated by:
Ben Carson M.D.

Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
136

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
107

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
103

You can find our culture's obsession with avoiding risk everywhere, from multiple insurance policies to crash-tested vehicles. But is ducking risk the most productive way for us to live? Surgeon and author Dr. Ben Carson, who faces risk on a daily basis, offers an inspiring message on how accepting risk can lead us to a higher purpose.

3 out of 5 stars

Alright

By
Shaun
on
12-23-08

The Big Picture

Getting Perspective on What's Really Important in Life

By:
Dr. Ben Carson

Narrated by:
John Pruden

Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
45

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
41

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
41

Dr. Ben Carson shares how to get perspective on what's really important in life. He shares the spiritual and philosophical foundations that shaped his life.

1 out of 5 stars

Religious rubbish

By
Amazon Customer
on
02-08-17

Hiding in the Light

Why I Risked Everything to Leave Islam and Follow Jesus

By:
Rifqa Bary

Narrated by:
Rifqa Bary

Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
1,022

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
922

Story

5 out of 5 stars
918

Rifqa Bary grew up in a devout Muslim home, obediently following her parents' orders to practice the rituals of Islam. But God was calling her to freedom and love. He was calling her to true faith. He was calling her to give up everything.

5 out of 5 stars

Excellent!

By
Enrique Mata III
on
05-24-15

Ripple Effects

Discover the Miraculous Motivating Power of a Woman's Influence

By:
Pam Tebow,
Tim Tebow - foreword

Narrated by:
Pam Tebow

Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
17

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
15

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
15

Discover the God-inspired difference only you can make in the world - using the key you never knew you had. Tim Tebow credits his mom with being the key to his success - but Pam never expected that she would be known on a national stage. For most of her life, she was serving quietly and faithfully as a wife and a mom - choosing life for her child in the face of medical risks, answering the Lord's call to mission work in the Philippines, and homeschooling before anyone knew what the word meant.

5 out of 5 stars

Inspired

By
Lisa Harvey
on
06-17-19

Complications

A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science

By:
Atul Gawande

Narrated by:
William David Griffith

Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins

Abridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,500

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,079

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,078

Sometimes in medicine the only way to know what is truly going on in a patient is to operate, to look inside with one's own eyes. This book is exploratory surgery on medicine itself, laying bare a science not in its idealized form but as it actually is - complicated, perplexing, and profoundly human.

5 out of 5 stars

Great book

By
A. Ryan
on
12-05-03

I Am David

By:
Anne Holm

Narrated by:
Struan Rodger

Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
248

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
221

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
220

David escapes from the concentration camp where he has spent his entire life and flees across Europe. He is utterly alone – who can he trust? What will await him? And all the while, how can he be sure that they won’t catch up with him...David learns that his polite manner, his haunted eyes and his thin features are strange to other people. He must learn to fend for himself in this strange new world. This is The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas meets Jonathan Safran Foer for children.

5 out of 5 stars

Character of a Child

By
Debbie
on
01-09-14

Hot Lights, Cold Steel

Life, Death and Sleepless Nights in a Surgeon's First Years

By:
Michael J. Collins MD

Narrated by:
John Pruden

Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
255

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
236

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
237

When Michael Collins decided to become a surgeon, he was totally unprepared for the chaotic life of a resident at a major hospital. A natural overachiever, Collins' success in college and medical school led to a surgical residency at one of the most respected medical centers in the world, the famed Mayo Clinic. But compared to his fellow residents, Collins felt inadequate and unprepared.

5 out of 5 stars

A cut above the rest

By
S. Gilford
on
12-19-17

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

By:
Stephen King

Narrated by:
Anne Heche

Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,270

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
993

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
998

Anne Heche reads
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, the story of nine-year-old Trisha McFarland who gets lost in the woods while on a walk with her family. Boston Red Sox closing pitcher Tom Gordon becomes Trisha's imaginary companion - and the key to her survival against an unidentified someone (or some
thing) leaving death and destruction in its wake.

4 out of 5 stars

Amber Alert

By
Tango
on
03-22-15

Choose Greatness

11 Wise Decisions That Brave Young Men Make

By:
Gary Chapman,
Clarence Shuler

Narrated by:
Chris Fabry

Length: 3 hrs and 25 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
13

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
13

Story

4 out of 5 stars
12

Gary Chapman, The New York Times number one best-selling author of The Five Love Languages®, and Clarence Shuler met when Clarence was still a teen. Gary mentored Clarence and helped him make wise decisions during his tumultuous teen years. Together, they reveal the reasons why some teens thrive as adults while others struggle and what makes the difference.

5 out of 5 stars

Must read

By
Luda
on
08-22-19

Bruchko

By:
Bruce Olson

Narrated by:
Gary Dikeos

Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
299

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
270

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
271

What happens when a nineteen-year-old boy leaves home and heads into the jungles to evangelize a murderous tribe of South American Indians? For Bruce Olson, it meant capture, disease, terror, loneliness, and torture. But what he discovered through trial and error has revolutionized the world of missions.
Bruchko, which has sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide, has been called "more fantastic and harrowing than anything Hollywood could concoct."

5 out of 5 stars

Inspiring!

By
Debz
on
04-08-15

Better

A Surgeon's Notes on Performance

By:
Atul Gawande

Narrated by:
John Bedford Lloyd

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,529

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,120

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,115

Atul Gawande explores how doctors strive for best performance in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. His stories of diligence and ingenuity take us to battlefield surgical tents in Iraq, to labor and delivery rooms in Boston, to a polio outbreak in India, and to malpractice courtrooms around the country. He discusses the ethical dilemmas of doctors' participation in lethal injections, examines the influence of money on medicine, and recounts the astoundingly contentious history of hand washing.

4 out of 5 stars

Fascinating and Well Read

By
L. M. Roberts
on
05-23-10

The Man Who Knew the Way to the Moon

By:
Todd Zwillich

Narrated by:
Todd Zwillich,
Angelo Di Loreto

Length: 3 hrs and 32 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
11,477

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
10,553

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
10,520

Without John C. Houbolt, a mid-level engineer at NASA, Apollo 11 would never have made it to the moon. Top NASA engineers on the project, including Werner Von Braun, strongly advocated for a single, huge spacecraft to travel to the moon, land, and return to Earth. It's the scenario used in 1950s cartoons and horror movies about traveling to outer space. Houbolt had another idea: Lunar Orbit Rendezvous. LOR would link two spacecraft in orbit while the crafts were travelling at 3,600 miles an hour around the moon. His plan was ridiculed and considered unthinkable.

3 out of 5 stars

Caveat Emptor: Bone to Pick

By
Judah Family
on
07-05-19

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

By:
John Boyne

Narrated by:
Michael Maloney

Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,834

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,497

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,493

The story of
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is very difficult to describe. Usually we give some information about the audiobook, but in this case we think that would spoil the listening. We think it's important that you start to listen without knowing what it is about.

5 out of 5 stars

Phenomenal! 5 stars is nowhere near enough.

By
Simone
on
02-23-17

Twisted

The Story of Larry Nassar and the Women Who Took Him Down

By:
Mary Pilon,
Carla Correa

Narrated by:
Mary Pilon,
Carla Correa

Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins

Original Recording

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
202

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
185

Story

5 out of 5 stars
186

In early 2018, Larry Nassar, the former doctor for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University, was sentenced to serve out the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty to a variety of sex crimes. New York Times best-selling author Mary Pilon and Carla Correa chronicle the scandal from its inception, tracking the institutions that Nassar hid behind, the athletic culture that he benefited from, and the women who eventually brought him to justice.

5 out of 5 stars

Most powerful Audible to date

By
Rachael
on
08-01-19

Admissions

Life as a Brain Surgeon

By:
Henry Marsh

Narrated by:
Henry Marsh

Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
116

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
103

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
101

Henry Marsh has spent a lifetime operating on the surgical front line. There have been exhilarating highs and devastating lows, but his love for the practice of neurosurgery has never wavered. Following the publication of his celebrated
New York Times best seller
Do No Harm, Marsh retired from his full-time job in England to work pro bono in Ukraine and Nepal. In
Admissions he describes the difficulties of working in these troubled, impoverished countries and the further insights it has given him into the practice of medicine.

5 out of 5 stars

Great book

By
Warren Aldrich
on
10-16-17

The Incredible Journey

By:
Sheila Burnford

Narrated by:
Megan Follows

Length: 3 hrs and 7 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
184

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
146

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
147

An incredible story that will always stay with the listener,
The Incredible Journey is a moving tale of unshakable faith, loyalty and a companionship so strong that it defies the odds of nature. Instinct told them that the way home lay to the west. And so the doughty young Labrador retriever, the roguish bull terrier and the indomitable Siamese set out through the Canadian wilderness.

4 out of 5 stars

Love the book, but beware background music!

By
GoryDetails
on
03-09-04

Publisher's Summary

In 1987, Dr. Benjamin Carson gained worldwide recognition for his part in the first successful separation of Siamese twins joined at the back of the head. The extremely complex and delicate operation, five months in the planning and twenty-two hours in the execution, involved a surgical plan that Carson helped initiate. Carson pioneered again in a rare procedure known as hemispherectomy, giving children without hope a second chance at life through a daring operation in which he literally removed one half of their brain.

But such breakthroughs aren't unusual for Ben Carson. He's been beating the odds since he was a child. Raised in inner-city Detroit by a mother with a third-grade education, Ben lacked motivation. He had terrible grades. And a pathological temper threatened to put him in jail. But Sonya Carson convinced her son that he could make something of his life, even though everything around him said otherwise. Trust in God, a relentless belief in his own capabilities, and sheer determination catapulted Ben from failing grades to the top of his class - and beyond to a Yale scholarship, the University of Michigan Medical School, and finally, at age 33, to the directorship of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Today, Dr. Ben Carson holds 20 honorary doctorates and is the possessor of a long string of honors and awards, including the Horatio Alger Award, induction into the "Great Blacks in Wax" Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, and an invitation as Keynote Speaker at the 1997 President's National Prayer Breakfast.

Gifted Hands is the riveting story of one man's secret for success, tested against daunting odds and driven by an incredible mindset that dares to take risks. This inspiring autobiography takes you into the operating room to witness surgeries that made headlines around the world - and into the private mind of a compassionate, God-fearing physician who lives to help others. Through it all shines a humility, quick wit, and down-to-earth style that make this book one you won't easily forget.

Absolutely inspiring!

Any additional comments?

My book club selected this book and at first look I was going to skip it. I would have missed out. Dion Graham's pleasant voice brings you through Ben Carson's amazing life, from a struggling black kid in Detroit, raised by a single mom, through his college years, how he chose his profession as a pediatric neurosurgeon, internship, residency, etc. I'm most impressed with how he turned to God in times of trial, and gives the credit to God for who he has become and the things he's been able to do in his life.

Like I said, I didn't want to read it at first, and the first few chapters he did sound like a bragger at times. However, his mom Was pretty amazing, and it's hard to tell your own story, getting to the top of your class, etc. without sounding a little bit big headed. But somewhere along the story, my heart changed and I became very impressed with this guy. He ends the book with his advice on how everyone can succeed. THINK BIG

I coincidentally finished this book about the same time that Ben Carson spoke at the Presidential Prayer Breakfast, so I watched that on YouTube, and again was very impressed with this brilliant surgeon, patriotic, soft spoken, God fearing, incredible man.

Very inspiring read

If you could sum up Gifted Hands in three words, what would they be?

Gifted Hands is a very inspiring book, I could not put my earphones down. I was in tears at certain times. His faith is something out of this world. The narrator was excellent, he kept me glued. I have just ordered a paperback version and DVD for home library. kids need to read his story while they are still young.

What other book might you compare Gifted Hands to and why?

Monk who sold his Ferrari. Both are stories with soul.

Which scene was your favorite?

Too many: his anger chapterthe tumor guythe twinsthe haux exam

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Once I finally concentrated I wanted to finish it one day but hey one has to sleep but I finished it in less than 24 hours.

Any additional comments?

This is a must have for every household, school, library, teachers, perfect gift

Compelling

Carson tells about his youth growing up in a poor black neighborhood in Detroit. Apparently when he was eight years old he decided he wanted to become a physician. He speaks highly of his mother keeping him on track toward his goal. He tells of going to Yale and feeling he did not belong there amongst the wealthy students. He went on to the University of Michigan for his medical school. He is one of eleven African Americans to become a board certified neurosurgeon. He became head of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins University hospital. In 1987 he became famous for successfully separating conjoined twins. The Binder Twins had been joined at the back of the head.

Carson writes openly about his faith and the Seventh Day Adventist church he belongs to. Carson has won many awards including the 2008 Presidential Medal of Freedom presented to him by President George W. Bush. He has written six books and many professional articles for medical journals, and since 2013 writes a column for the Washington Times. In 2009 there was a made for television movie about Ben Carson’s life shown on the TNT channel. The book was co-written with Cecil Murphy and Dion Graham narrated the book.

9 of 11 people found this review helpful

Sort by:

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Anne

02-12-12

Inspirational and riveting

Inspirational and enlightening audio book autobiography, which filled me with awe. It was great to learn of someone gifted by God. Had it not been for his mother, he may not have flourished, but God was very much in control. This wonderful example of God-led, humble neurosurgeon is so inspirational, and would be such an ideal role model for any Christian surgeon, medical doctor or GP. Actually, an example for any Christian 'head of Department', professional, anywhere.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

NikkyCCB

07-16-18

Great listen

I Loved it. I finished it in 2 seatings. The voice narrator was perfect for the story.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Connie Frost

09-11-19

Inspiring and motivational!

I loved listening to this audio book it is written so well that the imagination could visualise it very easily into ones own movie! It is easy to listen to and very well narrated. Ben Carson has been very honest about himself which is encouraging for those who can relate to his up and downs in life and use them to rise to ones full potential. I highly recommend this audio book.

Amazingly inspiring!

outstanding

Everyone needs to read this book. Very inspiring. I listened to this with my family on a long drive, and they were rivited.Can't recommend it enough.

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Tanya Ceccato

03-17-18

Inspiring Story

Loved this book. Both of my teen daughters found it motivating and moving. Very well narrated.

Overall

3 out of 5 stars

Performance

4 out of 5 stars

Story

2 out of 5 stars

Jennifer2

06-30-16

Show Off

The story of an arrogant man. In describing the events of his examination questions being miraculously shown in his dream, I thought 'nah, that's too much'. I'm a Christian but God is not a magician who fills in gaps when need arises. .